A Place Called Home
by Marie The Crocheter
Summary: Based off the little knowledge I have of AWL. Nami's been travelling from town to town, looking for a place she can call home... Has she finally found it? JackNami


Akie's note: Once again, long time no see. I'm really sorry that I only upload stuff like once or twice a year, but please understand that I'm always quite busy, and I'll only write when I'm in the mood. Just keep a look out for when I have new stuff, like Prank War 2... My sister's been helping me with it, so it should be up sooner or later. Once I feel like finishing it, lol. I think I'll only upload complete stories, like this one, from now on.

Anyway, this story is inspired by the upcoming game, _Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life_. Yeah, I know it's not out yet, but I've learned enough about the game from screenshots and the information provided at Marvelous Interactive's site, and was inspired to write this from the POV of the girls, Nami. I obviously haven't played the game yet, so I don't know everything about it, but wait to correct me until after the game comes out, OK...? I'm sure there are a lot of inaccuracies here. I just wrote this on a whim. ^^; 

If you've seen screens of the game, I can kind of tell you who is who. (I didn't make up any characters for this story.) Nami is the red-haired girl with light blue eyes. She wears white shorts, a yellow shirt, and a blue jacket. Sepilia (or Sepiria) has brown hair and gray eyes, and wears all green, except for the bandana on her head, which is brown. Ru, the innkeeper, is a bit chubby, short, and wears bright clothing, like a yellow shirt and a multi-colored apron. She has black hair. Besta (Besuta) is overweight, older than the others, wears an apron with pictures of vegetables, and has wild-looking blonde hair.

Marvelous Interactive Software is going to announce the Japanese release date of the game on June 20th, so once I know when it's coming out, I can reserve a Japanese copy somewhere and maybe re-write this when I've actually played the game, hehe... Um, anyway... On with the story.

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I leaned back in the chair, resting my feet on the windowsill. Ru had told me many times over not to do that, but, of course, I wouldn't listen to her. Or anyone else for that matter. I could tell that Ru was staring at me, glaring, probably, but I didn't care. I was only here for another week, anyway.

The scenery out the window is nice. All the buildings in the village are spread out over a large area, so you can see nothing but nature out the windows. It's summertime. I could smell the flowers nearby. It's a very relaxing atmosphere here.

So why can't I relax?

"She just sits there all day," I heard Ru talking behind me. "She doesn't go anywhere, doesn't do anything, but at least she pays her bill."

"Kind of creepy," the other person, the one whom Ru was talking to, said. "She's just like me not too long ago…"

"Anyway, Jack, have those eggs I asked for?"

"Yeah, right here."

More chit-chat. I didn't pay attention. People didn't come in and out of the inn that often. Only that farmer guy and some brown-haired girl who were both from nearby farms or something. They came to deliver fresh produce. I have no idea why they have to come so often. There aren't too many people staying here, so there aren't many people to feed. Of course, Ru is pretty hefty, so maybe she just eats everything left over. Yeah. That's probably it.

"Nami," I heard Ru call me. I didn't respond at first. "Nami? Are you all right?"

"Yes," I finally said. "What?"

"It's almost the end of the week. Be sure to pay your bill by Saturday. I just wanted to remind you."

"You remind me every week, I'm not that forgetful," I muttered, going upstairs. The sooner I paid her, the sooner she'd stop bothering me about it.

I still had a lot of money left over. I save like crazy when I have a job, so that when I'm on the go, I don't have to work. I was on the go right now.

Why I travel like this, I don't really know. I'm still looking. Looking for a place where I feel at ease.

Looking for a place I can call home.

So far, I haven't found it… And I don't think this village is it, either.

I grabbed my money bag and went downstairs. "How much for the week?" I asked Ru.

"With meals and all, it's 200G a day. So… 1400G."

Still 1400G? Sheesh, this place is a little more pricey than others I'd stayed at. It is a nice place, though. Comfy, but not comfy enough that I would want to stay here.

I fished out the money and gave it to Ru. She thanked me and then shyly started, "I hate to be rude, but, um…"

"Yeah?" I asked, a little impatient.

"Where exactly do you get this money from?"

"I work. And save up," I answered.

"But you don't work here…"

"That's 'cuz there is no work," I said. 

"Yeah, there is. Just ask at Farorin Farm. Sepilia told me that with the summer harvest coming up, she and Besta can't get enough help."

Sepilia and… what was that other name? "It depends on how much they'd pay," I said, coolly.

"Sepilia's coming in tomorrow. Ask her."

"Who is Sepilia, again?" I asked. Not like I've paid attention…

"The brown-haired girl who comes to deliver goods every so often," Ru answered.

Oh, her. "OK, I will," I promised, wondering if I really would or not.

Turns out I didn't have to. Two days later, Sepilia approached me about it. "Um, hello," she said, a little shyly. "Ru told me you might be looking for work…"

"Depends on what you pay," I answered.

"That depends on how much you harvest," Sepilia told me. "Ms. Besta decides that. If you work hard, you'll get paid a lot. If you don't work hard, then you won't get much money."

I narrowed my eyes a little. She kind of emphasized the part about working hard and getting paid more. "What about you?"

"What?"

"Do you get paid according to how much you harvest?"

She shook her head. "I work there, all the time. I have a fixed wage. Not that I need much money, but… It's good to have some."

Wow, that was a quick answer. "I'll look into it."

"OK," Sepilia smiled. "We really need the help, and only Jack offered to help us out. You could probably make a lot of money if you worked with us through the tomato harvest. We start the day after tomorrow."

"I'll think about it."

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What the heck. I decided to do the job. You can never have too much money, anyway.

Sepilia was right about having a lot of work to do. She, Besta, Jack and I worked from dawn to dusk for six days straight before we finally finished. Besta paid me a good 10,000G for my work.

"But there's still tomatoes left!" Jack protested.

"Oh, we leave some," Besta informed him. "This is the most I can pack."

"The leftover ones are meant to be for those who want free tomatoes, but kids generally come by and have a tomato throwing contest with them," Sepilia smiled, then sighed. "Such a waste of perfectly good fruits…"

I saw Jack grin. I could tell he'd been thinking about that the whole time. He plucked a tomato, saw me looking at him, and put a finger against his lips, telling me to be quiet. "It might be a waste, but it's fun."

"Yeah, but those tomatoes could be used to make ketchup, or salad, or—"

Jack suddenly threw the tomato to Sepilia. "Yo, Sep! Catch!"

Sepilia shrieked as the tomato hit her in the chest, splattering her green apron with a red mess. "JACK!! That wasn't funny!"

But Jack and Besta were both laughing. I even found myself tempted to smile. "Sepilia, I don't mind him using the tomatoes like that," Besta laughed. She plucked a tomato and threw it to Jack.

Jack actually caught it. "Whoah, Nami, catch!"

I didn't even try. That one hit me in the chest. Well, my clothes were already dirty…

Jack frowned. "Nami, you didn't even try!"

"Try what?" I mumbled. 

"Try to catch it!"

Sepilia had taken advantage of Jack's distraction to retaliate. She filled her apron with tomatoes and threw them two at a time at Jack.

"Hey!" Jack yelped, laughing, as he was pummeled. "I thought you _didn't_ want to waste the tomatoes!"

"I changed my mind!" Sepilia shouted, grinning like crazy. She threw one directly at Jack's face. It splattered on his forehead.

Something about Jack's look tickled me. He was covered in a red, gooey mess, and pretended to look annoyed. The look on his face is what finally got me to smile… And I quickly clamped a hand on my mouth when I saw Jack looking at me.

Too late. He'd seen my smile. "Whoah, Nami!! Did I just see what I thought I saw?"

I shook my head, still covering my mouth, when I was bombarded by a few tomatoes from Besta. She had terrible aim, though, and somehow ended up hitting Sepilia several times. 

"Hey, I'm on your team!" Sepilia exclaimed to her boss. She grabbed a few more and started pummeling Besta. 

Before long, Jack, Besta, and Sepilia were in an all-out tomato war. I stood around, not knowing what to do. This seemed pretty immature… but fun, too…

Sepilia finally decided for me. "Come on, Jack's so good, we need to work together on this! Do you have good aim?" I shrugged. She handed me a tomato. "Hit Jack when he comes by again."

So I did. Right on his face. He yelped. "Aaah! OK, Sep, where are you?!"

Sepilia handed me a few more before showing herself. "Nyah, nyah, can't catch me!"

Jack chased her around a bit. I looked at the tomatoes Sepilia had given me. Should I…?

Oh, what the heck. You only live once. I jumped out from my hiding place and pummeled Jack with the ones I had.

"What the?!" he turned around to face me. He was even more dirty than before, and wet, as though he'd fallen into the nearby stream. He was covered with dirt, mud, and tomato gunk. His hair was almost the same color as mine…

"Oh, so you're in on it to, now, eh? Well—"

"Bombs away!" Sepilia and Besta pummeled him again. Besta was also sopping wet and muddy. Gee, I wouldn't have expected that kind of behavior from a middle-aged woman…

Jack yelped and hid behind me. Before I knew what I was doing, I'd taken the last tomato I had and shoved it right into his face!

"Aaah! All right, all right, I give up!" He raised his hands in a gesture of defeat. "You girls are something else, sheesh."

"That's what you get for pummeling me first," Sepilia grinned. 

"I threw _one_ at you," Jack muttered. "_You_ pummeled _me!"_

Jack had a point there…

"Hey, you're right! Sepilia started it!" Besta exclaimed. "Let's all get her!" 

Sepilia's eyes turned into O's, and she ran away, with Jack and Besta close behind, throwing tomatoes. She ran into the house, where Jack and Besta obviously wouldn't follow.

"Darn!! Well, that was fun while it lasted," Jack panted. "I'm worn out."

"Hmm, this is going to be quite a mess to clean up tomorrow," Besta commented. "Would you two mind helping out tomorrow morning, just to clean this?"

"Sure, I wouldn't," Jack told her. "Nami?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow," I said coolly. "I can't."

"What?!" Jack exclaimed. "Where are you going?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I'll stop wherever I want to."

"Do you visit family?"

I shook my head.

"Then why do you travel?"

I paused. No one had asked me that before. "No reason," I muttered. That was a pretty poor response. I had a reason, I just wasn't ready to tell him.

He crossed his arms. "There _must_ be a reason, Nami."

"I'm not telling you," I mumbled. 

The next day came. I packed to leave. But, somehow… I couldn't. I wanted to help out at the farm. "Ru… charge me for another week."

"Another week?" Ru looked startled. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I changed my mind," I told her, and gave her the 1400G. 

I ran to Farorin Farm. Besta, Sepilia, and Jack were working, cleaning up the remnants of tomatoes that were still around. Jack just happened to see me coming. He let out a whoop. "Nami!! Are you gonna help?!"

"Yes, just give me something to do."

Besta paid Jack and I a generous sum of 2000G each for our work that day. 

"Next will be the onion harvest, in about four weeks," Besta informed us. "We could use your help then."

Sepilia looked up from the plants she was watering. "Yes, it's a bit of a… tear-jerking time," she chuckled. 

Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm," he wondered aloud, "Wonder how Sep would act if I peeled onions and threw them at her?"

Besta burst out laughing, and Sepilia's eyes widened. "Don't even bother to find out!" she said.

"So, Nami, can I walk you back to the inn?" Jack asked. 

What? He wanted to… really?! "Wh-why?" I demanded, caught off guard. 

Jack must have thought that he'd offended me. "Oh, er, I know you could go by yourself, it's just that the inn is on the way back to my ranch, and…"

"Well, all right," I agreed, startled. Most people didn't even bother to talk with me, much less ask to escort me to where I was staying.

The sun was setting. We started on the regular path, but Jack wanted to take an alternate route. "More scenic," he said. "There's a lake here. Have you been to the lake?"

I shook my head. 

"The lake at night is really something to see."

He led me through the forest. Shadows danced across the path, becoming larger and larger, and finally overtaking everything once the sun had set. Yet, there's light coming from up ahead… What was that?!

"Look," Jack whispered. "That's the lake!"

My jaw dropped in awe. I've been all over the world, but I'd never seen anything like _this_ before!

Huge flowers adorn the lakeshore. These flowers gave off a bright light, illuminating the whole area. This seemed so odd, so surreal, so _un_real…

So… romantic…

"Ha ha, that was my reaction at first, too! Sep showed me this lake. I was like 'What's with those flowers?!' She said that they absorb sunlight during the day and bloom at night. They're brightest at this time in the evening."

"They're… beautiful," I whispered, still awed. "Why are you showing me this?"

"I dunno." Jack shrugged. "Guess because I just saw it for the first time not that long ago, I thought you'd want to see it, too."

I looked at Jack. He was still looking over the lake. He looked quite… handsome… in the mystical light. He was a little taller than me, had a slightly bigger build, but we had the same length of hair. Mine was short, straight, while his was short and all over the place. Very messy. Yet somehow, I found him attractive…

….What am I thinking?! I'm only here for another week. I can't let myself be attracted to someone in a place I didn't call home!

…Or could this possibly be…?

Jack looked at me quizzically. "Nami? You OK?"

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Yes, um, I think we should go back."

Jack nodded, and led me back to the inn.

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I continued doing what I'd been doing since before Sepilia asked me for help – sulking at the window. Only now I was actually thinking, not sulking.

It seemed as though either Jack or Sepilia came by every single day. They'd give their goods to Ru and then talk with me.

"You know, it can't be good for you to be cooped up in here all day," Sepilia chided. "Go out and do something."

I looked at her. "Like what?"

"Take a walk, or go shopping, or something."

I looked back out the window. "I might get lost," I told her. "And I save my money."

"Save it? For what?"

"Paying necessary expenses, like my bill for the inn," I muttered.

"I can show you around the forest if you'd like."

"Don't you have to work?"

"I quit work at 4PM. I can come here and get you around then."

Well, should I…? I was finding myself wanting to stay another week again. "All right. I'll be waiting."

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Sepilia came just on time. We went for a walk around the forest, and… talked.

"My brother closes every letter he sends with 'Wish you were here'." Sepilia sighed. "It's hard being so far away from them, but… I love this place. I don't want to leave – ever."

I nodded. I could understand that. Somewhat. I didn't have a family. No one wrote to me, asking me to join them. But I know how hard it is to be on your own.

I told Sepilia that. "I have Besta to help me out," she said. "I couldn't imagine being like you, wandering around with no home to go to… Don't you ever tire of that?"

I looked around. The trees, the flowers, it's all so pretty. "Yes," I finally said. "I'm still searching."

"Searching? Searching for what?"

"…A home."

"Why don't you try living here for awhile?" Sepilia asked. "Besta and I still have room at the farm for someone to live."

I shook my head, then shrugged. "No, I don't think so… I don't know," I finally admitted. "I have plenty of money. I can stay at the inn for awhile."

She cocked her head. "I thought you said you'd leave at the end of the week."

"I've… changed my mind."

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Weeks passed. I helped out at Farorin Farm for the onion harvest. Sepilia was right. It was a tear-jerking time. And Jack did throw a peeled onion at Sep. She got so angry she didn't talk to him for a full week afterwards.

And I stayed. Fall was coming on, there would be more harvests, and I knew I could make more money. If I ran out of money, Besta promised me that there would be room for me at the farm. 

Because there was more to do during the fall, Sep and I didn't go for walks in the forest anymore. Instead, Jack started going with me. He and Sepilia were both obsessed with the lakeside flowers, but I didn't blame them. Those flowers are really something. They make the land seem like something from a fairy tale. 

Sepilia. When winter came, she and Jack became closer every day. When she could go out for a walk, she started going with him more often. She finally stopped asking me altogether. 

I don't mind. I shouldn't mind. I'm going to leave this place someday, someday soon.

Yet, I feel a teeny twinge of jealousy whenever I see them walking around town together…

Why? Am I jealous because Sep and I don't have our talks anymore? We have a lot in common. Or is it because Jack is giving her so much attention?

… I hope it isn't the latter. There's a certain way to tie yourself to a place. Fall in love with a guy.

…I'd better get out of here. Quickly.

I packed up my things and told Ru I was leaving. She seemed surprised.

"This is sudden, Nami," she said. "You seemed to be making friends here…"

"I know, that's why I have to leave," I muttered. "Before I get too close to anyone."

Ru didn't seem to understand, but she didn't try to stop me.

I left for the wharf. I'll take a ship away from here… Maybe I'll stop at Mineral Town for the night.

But, in a twist of fate, guess who I met on the road there? Jack.

"Nami…" He saw I had my things with me. "Are you… leaving?"

"Yes, goodbye," I mumbled, going past him. But he stopped me.

"What did I do?" he asked.

"Nothing," I answered. "I just need to move on."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

"Can't you just stay here?"

I looked at him. The look on his face reminded me of a sad dog, begging for attention. Jack really looked troubled. Of course, he'd forget about me right away. Especially with someone as wonderful as Sepilia around.

"No," I finally said, then blurted, "Just say goodbye to Sepilia for me, if she still remembers who I am. I'm surprised you remember." 

…! Did I just say that?! Oh, dear, maybe I am a little jealous…

Jack grabbed my other arm, keeping he from going any farther. "Nami? Of course I remember who you are! Sepilia and I don't go for walks anymore, you know."

My heart skipped a beat. "You… don't?"

"No, we've both been too busy. And I'd much rather go with you," he smiled. "I like you a lot, Nami. Please stay!"

"Why do you like me?" I asked. My heart was still pounding. Surely he could hear it…

"Because I can see that you're very complex. You act so cool and uncaring all the time, but I know you're not like that. I used to be that way, too." He sighed. "I had no plans in life, then I ended up here, and… Life's great. I have something to do, a goal in life. This is a place I can truly call home," he said, meeting my eyes with that last sentence.

I swallowed hard. _Home._ I couldn't tear my gaze away. I guess he couldn't tear his away, either. He was still holding on to my arms. He let go when I wouldn't respond. "S-sorry, that was too forward," he apologized. "Go wherever you want, Nami, but… this place will still be here, if you ever come back."

I thought a moment. "I'm not going anywhere."

He looked at me, surprised. "Eh?"

"I'm staying. If you want me to stay that much, I will." I looked down. "No one's ever told me that before."

"That's probably because you don't talk much."

I smiled a little. That was true. "Yes, you're right."

"So you'll stay?"

"I'll go tell Ru."

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Yes, I stayed. Ru actually lowered my weekly bill to 1000G. I don't know why, but that was nice of her. Especially since I worked sometimes at Jack's ranch and also at Farorin Farm. 

I still wasn't sure if this was home, though. I still felt like an outsider looking in, except for when Jack was with me. It finally dawned on me one day… 

Wherever Jack was, that was home. 

Oh, gosh. I'm in love with him!

But I knew he loved me too. He hinted to it once in a while. And on our walks, we'd often hold hands. We'd stay out later and later, sometimes not going home until the flowers at the lake had used up all their light. Sometimes I stayed the night at his farm (in a different room, of course!). Ru would never charge me for those days.

One day, working side-by-side with Sepilia, she told me about the strangest thing. "Do you know what a blue feather is for?"

Blue feather? I shook my head. "What, to write with?"

"No, it's what men use to propose marriage to their sweethearts," Sep smiled. "So romantic. I think every young woman's dream is to be offered a blue feather by her sweetheart."

"Did someone offer you one?" I asked, a little suspicious.

She blushed. "Uh, no," she answered. "But my good friend, Mary, who lives in Mineral Town, called me last night to tell me she's engaged. The wedding's in about a week." She sighed dreamily. "She's so lucky… And I'm sure her parents are thrilled."

One week? Gee, that wasn't a lot of time to plan a wedding. "Are you in it?"

"In what?"

"Her wedding."

"No, we just hold private ceremonies here. We never put on a big show," Sepilia answered. "Most people can't take enough time off work to go on a good honeymoon, either. Mary and Gray aren't going anywhere."

"So, you mean there aren't any bridesmaids?"

"No bridesmaids. So, I'm going to it, but the only wedding I'll ever actually be in will be my own." She sighed. "_If_ I ever get married…"

I smiled a little. "I'm sure you will. You're a very nice person, Sep."

"But I'm not that attractive."

"I don't think that matters."

"Nami, you're much prettier than me, and Jack is crazy about you," Sepilia looked me over. "Your hair really contrasts with your eyes. It makes you look so pretty. Of course… neither of us compare to Mumu, but… she doesn't have to worry about guys, so…"

Mumu worked at the bar. She was technically a waitress, but most men came to the bar just to see her. She was very, very lovely and always wore clothes that were flattering to her figure. She had no shortage of men who wanted to court her. Sepilia and I, on the other hand, looked quite plain in comparison. No men ever paid any attention to us – except for Jack, of course.

"Look at me," Sepilia continued. "Drab brown hair, plain gray eyes… And I think I'm a bit chubby, especially when I'm wearing this dress," she admitted. "Aren't I so homely?"

"You wouldn't look so chubby if you didn't wear a skirt _and_ an apron over that dress," I murmured. That always confused me. Sepilia wore so many layers of clothes, even in summer.

She studied her clothes. "Well, true, but… This is comfy."

"Isn't it hot?"

"Not really."

"Why do you wear another skirt over it, anyway?"

"To make sure that the skirt underneath doesn't blow above my head or something."

"You worry too much," I mumbled. I'll stick with shorts and a T-shirt any day.

"Only about what I need to worry about." She looked at the sky. The sun was setting, though you could hardly see it through the clouds. "It's going to rain tomorrow. Guess I won't have much work to do."

That meant I'd have nothing to do, as well. I never worked in the greenhouses. "Will you need me tomorrow?"

"Probably not. Let's go ask Besta."

---------------------------------------------

It didn't just rain the next day. It poured for three days straight! Ru advised me not to go outside. "It's dangerous, out in the mountains, in a thunderstorm," she cautioned. "Especially if the lake gets high."

Would those pretty flowers at the lake get washed out? Guess I'll have to go see for myself once the storm's over.

Once the weather cleared up, I rushed to Farorin Farm. Sepilia and Besta were working in the field, cleaning up the mess. The violent storms had turned their farm into a swamp, wiping out many of the plants.

"We're fine for ourselves for now," Besta told me. "If anything, I think you should go to Jack's farm. He has no one to help him out."

So I did. Whoah. His field was also a swamp, as was the pasture area for his animals…

We worked for a while, cleaning things up. "Man, that was a bad storm," he said. "I only ventured out once to go to town."

"You went to town?" I asked. "That must have been dangerous."

"It was worth it. I needed some things from the grocery store. No one else was there, and the shopkeeper was very surprised to see me." He grinned. "I got first picks on everything!"

I smiled a little. "I'm sure that was nice."

He paused. "Um, Nami, want to go into the house for a little? I need a break."

Why not? We went into his house, where he fixed a drink for both of us. His house wasn't that luxurious, but it was very cozy. I liked it a lot.

He seemed a little distracted. I finally decided to break the silence. "At least your house held up."

"Huh?"

"Your house looks great, even after that storm."

"Oh, that, yeah, well, the carpenters here are really great, aren't they?"

I nodded. I guess so.

"Nami…" he said after a moment, "To be honest, I… Well, I got something for you at the supermarket, too."

I'd been looking around the room, admiring its simplicity. Now I turned to look at him. "Would it be OK if I… showed it to you?" he asked.

I nodded. He went into his bedroom. What in the world could he have gotten for me…?

He came out a few minutes later, something behind his back. "Um, Nami," he stuttered, "I wanted to give this to you… I got it during the storm, but I'd meant to get it a while ago…"

My heart thudded. "What is it?"

"This." He showed me a… blue feather!

My eyes widened. _"It's what men use to propose marriage to their sweethearts," _ I remembered Sep saying to me. _"So romantic. I think every young woman's dream is to be offered a blue feather by her sweetheart."_

Since I didn't respond at first, Jack must have thought that I didn't know what it was. "Um, Nami, this is—"

"I know." I gently took the feather from him. It was so soft. "But… why? Why do you want to give it to me?"

"Because I'm certain. I've thought about it a lot, Nami," he said. "I've settled into this place pretty well, and I think I'm doing well with the farm. It's time I shared it with someone else."

"But… I'm sure Sepilia would make a better wife for a farmer than me."

"Nami, you work just as hard as she does."

"No, I don't. I don't know nearly as much about plants as Sepilia."

"That's because Sep's best friend's father is a well-known botanist," Jack smiled. "Please, Nami… I want you as my wife. I love you. I really do."

I knew that. I knew he loved me. And that I loved him. But still… marriage? That was a big step!

I'm certain Sepilia would make a better wife for him, even if she couldn't possibly love him as much as I do… No one could love him as much as I do. But, if Sep couldn't love him as much as me… Would she really make a better wife?

I slowly started to nod. "Jack…?"

"Yes?" He was nervous. Very nervous. That much was obvious.

"I'll… take it."

His eyes widened. "Really?! So you mean…"

I nodded. 

"Yes!!" Jack let out a whoop and hugged me. "Nami, I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you happy – forever!"

I hugged him back. "I promise the same," I said, quietly.

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We were married a week later. I think Ru was secretly mourning, as she lost the only person who regularly stayed at the inn. But Jack and I both deliver goods to the inn every week. I'm sure she sells some of that stuff to make money.

I could tell Sepilia was a bit heartbroken, too. But she was nice about it. And she did marry someone else a year or so later.

Now, four years have passed since our marriage. The farm is doing great. We've added on to the house, and have so many animals we have to hire help every once in a while.

Jack and I aren't alone anymore, either. Two years ago I gave birth to an adorable little boy, whom we named Minoru. He looks just like Jack, only he has my hair and eyes. He is very, very shy. I'm sure he'll grow up to look and act like a perfect cross between the two of us.

Right now, Jack and I were on the porch, Minoru in my lap. He'd recently started sucking his thumb, and would cling to a piece of cloth, such as my shirt, for support while doing so. I didn't even bother trying to break him of the habit. I hated to see our little boy cry.

Sepilia herself is expecting a baby now. She sincerely hopes that her little boy or girl will be as well-behaved as our Minoru.

We were waiting for the fireworks to start. Today was Mineral Town's fireworks festival, and we got to see the fireworks from the farm. I just hope they won't frighten Minoru…

Jack yawned and rested his head on my shoulder. He's tired. We both are. It takes a lot to run a farm and raise a family at the same time. True, it's not all _that_ hard with just one child, but still…

"Don't go to sleep," I told him. "The fireworks shall start at any moment."

"Yeah, I know, I won't," he promised. But he didn't raise his head.

Finally, the fireworks began. Minoru was a little scared at first, but when I showed him the pretty lights from those loud booms, he stuck his thumb in his mouth and started fingering my shirt, as he does when he's happy. Then he started to cry once it was over with.

"Aw, that's all until next year, little buddy," Jack said as he swept our son into his arms. "Let's go into the house now."

He went in, carrying Minoru. I followed. We'd eaten dinner beforehand, and now all we needed to do was get Minoru to bed, then get to bed ourselves.

"I wonder if he'll go to bed that willingly when he gets older," Jack commented as we were getting ready. "I know that when I was a teen, I wouldn't go to bed until at least midnight, usually later."

"What were you doing?" I asked.

"Various things… anything that could keep you up."

Yes, I could understand that. I'd been the same way. "You outgrow it after a while."

"Well, now I have to wake up so early, I couldn't possibly pull it off anymore!"

I smiled a little. No matter what he said, I knew he stayed up late from time to time. Whether it was because of a festival, an animal giving birth, or Minoru or I being sick, he did stay up late sometimes. "You stay up late more often than you think. Tonight, for instance."

I was standing in front of the mirror, brushing my hair. Jack stopped whatever he was doing and came to me. He gently took the brush from my hands, then wrapped his arms around my waist. He rested his head on my shoulder, and looked at our reflection in the mirror. I did the same, trying to take the brush back. But he wouldn't loosen his grip on it.

"That nightgown looks great on you," he said, finally.

Nightgown? It's more like a long blue tunic. "Don't flatter me."

"I'm not. You look great no matter what you're wearing."

"I told you, don't flatter me," I mumbled.

"I'm not flattering you."

I smiled. We have little playful arguments like this every day. Especially at night. "You're flattering me."

He finally gave up. "OK, maybe a little," he admitted, "But I still think you're the most beautiful woman to ever live on this planet." He kissed my cheek. "Almost ready?"

I yawned, and nodded.

Our room was small, but cozy. Our bed was on one side, with Minoru's crib on the other. A dresser and mirror were against one wall, and a nightstand was next to our bed. That was it. Small, a little crowded, but it was our home, and I wouldn't trade it for any palace in the world.

Our home. Our little home.

I've lived here for four years, and even though it still felt odd to stay in the same place for so long, I wouldn't dare go anywhere else. Because Jack is here. And Minoru. Wherever they are, that's my home.

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Whee, there it is. Not one of my best, but it's hard to write a story about a game that hasn't been released yet, eh? I'll probably revise this and maybe write more stories once AWL comes out.

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